1912 a camera crusade through the holy land

8/8/2019 1912 a Camera Crusade Through the Holy Land

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THE LIBRARYOFTHE UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIA


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A CAMERA CRUSADE


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)F SAMAJJohn iv, 7. There cometh a woman of Samaria \


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A CAMERA CRUSADETHROUGH THE HOLY LAND

BYDWIGHT L. ELMENDORFn

WITH ONE HUNDREDPHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS

NEW YORKCHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

MCMXII


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COPYRIGHT, 1912, BYCHARLES SCRIBNF.R'S SONS

Published October, 1912


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DS

TO THE MEMORYOFMY MOTHER

304


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FOREWORDIN 1093 Peter the Hermit returned from a pilgrimage to

Jerusalem and gave such a pitiful account of the unhappy sit-uation of the Christians in the East that he aroused all Chris-tendom to such a degree that armies were raised and in 1096started toward the Holy Land.

The wars carried on by the Christian nations of the Westfrom the eleventh to the latter half of the thirteenth centuryfor the conquest of Palestine were called Crusades, from thePortuguese word cruzado, that is, "marked with the cross,"because the warriors who followed the holy banner wore thesign of the cross.

In 1901 I started for the Holy Land with my ever-faithfulcamera on my back, my only weapon, simply to journeythrough the land with a desire to see for myself places men-tioned in the Bible, to study ancient customs which stillremain, and if possible to understand the significance of manysentences in the Scriptures which were very obscure to meand to those who tried to teach me; in fact, my faith waswavering, I was in doubt, yet one verse in Matthew compelledme to go: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shallfind; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."


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viii FOREWORDI went, I asked, I knocked: I doubt no longer, now I

know. The journey on horseback through the Holy Land wasa revelation to me; may my description of it be a help tomany. DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF.


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CONTENTSFAGSTHE SOUTH 3

THE NORTH 19JERUSALEM 40PLATES AND TEXTS . 57


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ILLUSTRATIONSPLATE

A Woman of Samaria Frontispiece IJoppa from the SeaThe Sea from the Roof of "One Simon a Tanner" IllA Bread Seller at Joppa IV

% The plates numbered VI, VII, IX, XIII, XV, XVII, XVIII, XXI,XXXVI, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, LI, LIII, LX, LXI, LXVI, LXXII,LXXVII, LXXVIII, XCVI, C, are reproduced from copyrighted photo-graphs taken by Messrs. Underwood & Underwood, by whose permissionthey are used in this book.

A Threshing Floor XVIIIShepherds Leading Their Flocks XIXShepherd's Pipes, Sling, and ScripThe Brook Kidron at Marsaba XXIThe Wilderness of the Scapegoat XXIIThe Salt or the Dead Sea XXIIIThe Shore of the Dead Sea XXIV


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xii ILLUSTRATIONSPLATE

The Jordan Ford XXVLooking Up the Jordan XXVIElisha's Spring near Jericho XXVIIThe Mount of Temptation XXVIIIThe Jericho Road and the Samaritan Inn XXIXThe Brook Cherith XXXThe Apostles' Spring on the Jericho Road XXXIThe Wilderness of Judaea from Jericho Road XXXIIThe Shadow of a Great Rock XXXIIIBethany XXXIVRuin of the Supposed House of Mary and Martha XXXVTwo Women Grinding XXXVIThe Mount of Olives XXXVIINorth-east Corner of Jerusalem. Mizpah in the Background . . . XXXVIIIBethel XXXIXA Judaean Highway XLLooking North toward Shiloh XLIShechem and Mount Gerizim XLIIThe Old Codex at Shechem XLIIIFrom Mount Ebal over Sychar, Jacob's Well, and Mount Gerizim XLIVRuins Over the Site of Jacob's Well XLVSychar, Jacob's Well, and Mount Gerizim XLVIThe Midst of Samaria XLVIIThe City of Samaria (Sebaste) XLVIIIHerod's Columns at Samaria, or Sebaste XLIXThe Plain of Jezreel LPloughing in the Plain of Jezreel LIA Jordan Ford LII


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ILLUSTRATIONS XlllPLATELIIIount Tabor from Mount Carmel

Nazareth from the Damascus Road LIVMary's Well at Nazareth LVNazareth toward Mount Carmel . LVICana of Galilee LVIIMount of the Beatitudes LVIIIThe Sea of Galilee LIXFishermen Casting Their Nets LXOver the Sea toward Capernaum LXIWhere the Jordan Enters the Sea of Galilee LXIlUpper Jordan Valley LXII1Bedouin Tents LXIVThe Waters of Merom and Mount Hermon LXVStill Waters LXVIRoman Bridge over the Jordan LXVIIAn Oak Tree LXVIIIOld Roman Bridge near Dan (Caesarea Philippi) LXIXThe Source of the Jordan LXXDamascus , . . . LXXISnowy Peaks of Mount Hermon LXXIIMount Lebanon LXXIIIThe Heart of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives LXXIVThe Mosque of Omar on the Site of the Temple of Jerusalem . . . LXXVThe Dome of the Rock LXXVIThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre LXXVIIThe Throng of Pilgrims and Others LXXVIIIAn Old House with an Upper Chamber LXXIXCoins Used in Palestine During the Time of Our Lord LXXXThe Pool of Bethesda . LXXXI


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xiv ILLUSTRATIONSPLATEAn Old Street, Jerusalem LXXXII

The Wailing Place of the Jews, Jerusalem LXXXIIIWest Wall of Jerusalem LXXXIVPool of Gihon LXXXVSouth-eastern Slope of Mount Zion LXXXVIThe Valley of Hinnom, Gehenna LXXXVIIThe Pool of Siloam LXXXVIIIThe Tyropoean Valley LXXXIXThe King's Dale and Job's Well _ . . XCSouth-east Corner of the Temple Wall, Looking North .... XCIThe Spring of Mary, or the Virgin's Well XCIIThe Valley of Jehoshaphat, looking Up Kidron Valley .... XCIIIThe Gate Beautiful, or the Golden Gate XCIVThe Garden of Gethsemane and the City Wall of Jerusalem . . . XCVThe Garden of Gethsemane XCVIThe Damascus Gate XCVIIA Green Hill without a City Wall XCVIIIGordon's Tomb XCIXThe Stone Rolled Away CMap showing route followed by the author facing p. 3


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A CAMERA CRUSADE


26/286Map showing route followed by the author. It is indicated by the black line starting at Joppa


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A CAMERA CRUSADETHROUGH THE HOLY LAND

THE SOUTHAFTER many days we arrived off the coast of Palestineand came to anchor near Joppa. What thoughts arose in our

minds as we gazed upon that land for the first time; thePromised Land, that land that has been the great passagewayfrom south to north and from east to west, the little landthat has produced the three great living religions of the world,the Holy Land.

There being no harbor, it is necessary to land in smallboats, and no landing at all is possible in rough weather.

One of the remarkable features of the whole coast line ofPalestine is the utter lack of harbors. For this reason theland was never attacked by sea. Not long after our arrivalquite a fleet of row-boats, propelled by motley crews, swarmedabout our vessel in utter disorder, and we received our firstimpressions of the natives of the land of the present day; itseemed as though Bedlam was let loose. One must expect tofind this state of things in every Turkish port; no discipline,no order, wild gesticulations, and loud, yelling voices unpleas-ant to the ear, impudent demands for tips or "bakshish," andgenerally rough treatment. Passing through the custom-house,we walked through a dirty street to a hotel.

3


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4 A CAMERA CRUSADE':V .V'lxKjAfter .making, all, arrangements with a dragoman, or headguide, I' w'a'rid-e'red 1

" to : die- "house of one Simon, a tanner,''climbed upon the roof, and there for the first time saw a realOriental roof, made to live on as well as under.

In the centre of it was a square opening, large enough tolet down "the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay," whichactually happened in Capernaum. (Mark ii, 4.)

From the roof there was a fine view of the rocky shorewhere the cedars of Lebanon were landed for the building ofthe temple at Jerusalem. Legend states that the prophetJonah started on his remarkable voyage from one of theserocks, and near by are shown some bones of a gigantic seaanimal.

Upon another rock are some chains with which (accordingto legend) Andromeda was bound till rescued from the seamonster by Perseus.

In the market-place were many interesting scenes of Ori-ental flavor, some of which indicated the abject condition ofwomanhood under Islam rule.

One handsome fellow in bright-colored costume was ped-dling Syrian bread, which looked good but tasted like verysour corn-bread spread over with ripe Roquefort cheese; itwas awful, but after two weeks in the Holy Land I could eatthings worse than that. This bread seemed to be typical ofthe condition of the land to-day, or rather of the Christianreligion as evinced there to-day by many of the variouschurch sects of which I shall speak again.

Joppa was anciently a Phoenician colony in the land of thePhilistines. Now it has become an important place on ac-


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 5count of the great number of pilgrims who arrive there everyyear. It is interesting to the traveller because of the pureSemitic types to be seen for the first time.

From Joppa lead three great roads, or highways; one toNabulus (Shechem), another to Gaza, and the third to Jeru-salem.

For quite a distance the Jerusalem road leads through thefamous orange groves of Joppa into the plain of Sharon, theHebrew name for the plain between Carmel and Joppa. Inthe early spring the ground is brilliant with the blossoms ofthe red anemone, the "Rose of Sharon."

One of the striking features of the plain is the tower ofRamleh, or the tower ofOmayyad khalif Suleiman (A. D. 716),from the top of which is a charming view toward Lydda, whichis mentioned in a very early period in connection with thelegend of St. George. Mohammed declared that at the lastday Christ would slay Antichrist at the gate of Lydda. Thisis simply a distorted version of the story of St. George and thedragon. The whole Maritime Plain presents a scene of quietbeauty, a marked contrast to the inhospitable coast whichalways was considered the western boundary, and the sea,a barrier instead of a highway. This plain, rising in gentleundulations toward the Shephelah, now so peaceful and fruit-ful, has ever been one of the most famous war-paths of theworld, through which Thothmes, Rameses, Sennacherib, Cam-byses, Alexander, Pompey, Titus, Saladin, Napoleon, and manyother great generals have led their armies. Truly this Mari-time Plain may be likened to a bridge between Asia and Africa.From their hills the Jews could watch all the spectacle of war


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6 A CAMERA CRUSADEbetween them and the sea years before Jerusalem herself wasthreatened. (Isa. v, 26.)

Lydda, or Lod, was one of the most westerly settlementsof the Jews after the exile, for there were no smiths in Israel;so the Hebrews came down to the Philistine border to gettheir ploughshares and mattocks sharpened. (I Sam. xiii, 19.)

From Ramleh we journeyed up through the vale of Ajalon(Josh, x, 12) toward Jerusalem, and turned south towardHebron. On the way we passed the valley of Eshcol,from which the spies sent out by Moses brought a clusterof grapes, and from the appearance of vines growing thereto-day one might imagine they dated back to the time ofMoses.

Near Hebron we camped under the shade of an ancientoak known as Abraham's Oak, in the plains of Mamre soclosely connected with Abraham's life.Hebron, a city older than Zoan, is now occupied by themost fanatical and detestable specimens of Mussulmans Ihave ever come in contact with.

Now no Christian dog is permitted to enter the mosquewith two minarets, built over the double cavern of Machpelah,the burial-place purchased by Abraham from Ephron, theHittite, when Sarah died. Isaac and Jacob are said to beburied here also. Of the many traditions which cling to thevicinity of Hebron, two are most interesting which localizethe creation and the death of Adam here.

So many things actually happened at Hebron, or very nearit, that one may entirely discard all legends and traditions andbe satisfied with historical facts. After the many references


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 7to Abraham and his family, we find that the city was de-stroyed by Joshua and became the chief city of the tribe ofCaleb. David spent a long time in this vicinity, and afterSaul's death he ruled over Judah from Hebron for seven anda half years."When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took himaside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote himthere under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahelhis brother."

And David caused the murderers of Ishbosheth, the sonof Saul, to be hanged by the pool of Hebron.

During the Muslim period the town was still important notonly on account of its commerce, but also as a sacred place,owing to its connection with Abraham, who was representedby Mohammed as a great prophet, and to this day the Arabscall it "El-Khalil," or the town of the "friend of God."

Being repelled in every way by the fanatical inhabitants,we were glad to leave the town and turn northward towardBethlehem. On the way we passed the pools known as Solo-mon's Pools, the upper of which is best preserved. We campedon a hill overlooking the Shepherd's Village, where the shep-herds "watched their flocks" just below Bethlehem, the placeof bread, the city of David.It was well that we did not enter Bethlehem that evening,for as twilight waned we sat on the ground like the shepherdsof old and gazed toward that sacred spot where "she broughtforth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no roomfor them in the inn." "And they shall call his name Em-


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8 A CAMERA CRUSADEmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us;" "and hecalled his name JESUS."

Until very late we sat meditating, not speaking to oneanother, overwhelmed with the consciousness of being nearthe place where the most momentous prophecy was fulfilled.

The next morning I stood before the low, narrow entranceto the Church of the Nativity, or the Church of St. Mary, per-haps the oldest Christian church in the world, and wonderedwhy the great doorways had been walled up with heavymasonry. I soon learned that this was doner to prevent theMohammedan soldiers from driving their horses into thechurch and using it as a stable.

The exterior of the church is in appearance very ancientand not at all imposing. The interior, divided into three parts,one belonging to the Greeks, another to the Latins, and thethird to the Armenians, is a great surprise and is very impres-sive. The church is built over the traditional birthplace ofJesus Christ. In the crypt is the manger, entirely differentfrom those depicted by great painters, and yet, with all thelamps and decorations removed, it is exactly like many a man-ger I saw in actual use in the land.

Not one of the paintings of the Nativity that I have seengives the slightest idea of a Syrian manger. Perhaps that byMurillo, in Berlin, or "The Holy Night," by Correggio, inDresden, are the most beautiful, though not correct.

Whether this traditional manger is the exact spot wherethe Saviour was born matters little to me. If this is not theplace, it must have been very near by; far above this littlematter of doubt is the great fact, "Fear not: for, behold, I


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 9bring you tidings of great joy. " . . . " For unto us a child isborn, unto us a son is given: and the government shall beupon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful,Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, thePrince of Peace."

It is of more than passing interest to note that the " Breadof Life" was born in Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means theplace of bread.

From the most ancient times this region in the immediatevicinity of Bethlehem has presented a marked contrast to thesurrounding wilderness, for that is what most of Judea is.Around the town are many fertile fields apparently fenced inby stone walls, but these are simply formed by the stonespicked out of the fields themselves. The finest are the " Fieldsof Boaz, " just below the city toward the Dead Sea. Here isthe scene of the beautiful idyl of Ruth. Even to this day thegleaners follow the reapers who often "let fall also some ofthe handfuls," for the method of reaping has not changedsince the time of Moses. After the reaping comes the thresh-ing, which is done on the old-fashioned threshing-floor.

As we journeyed from Bethlehem toward the Dead Sea, Isaw two shepherds leading their flocks into green pastures.This was such a beautiful illustration of the Twenty-thirdPsalm that I talked with the shepherds and asked one of themto go around to the other side of the hill and then call hissheep. He did so, giving a peculiar call "Br-Br-Br-Br Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!!!" Instantly the sheep looked up, began to bleat,and ran toward him they knew his voice. Then I tried toimitate the shepherd; the sheep looked up, but they would


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10 A CAMERA CRUSADEnot follow; they ran from me. "And a stranger will theynot follow, but will flee from him: for they know not thevoice of strangers."

Hanging from the arm of one of the shepherds was a curiousleathern bag made from the whole skin of a kid. In it wereseveral round stones and a sling made of camel's hair. Whena sheep wanders too far away the shepherd puts a stone inthe sling and casts it cleverly so that it strikes the grounddirectly in front of the wandering sheep, causing it to look upand so notice that it has gone astray "All" we like sheephave gone astray: we have turned every one to his ownway."

This took me back to the time of David (I Sam. xvii, 40) :"And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smoothstones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bagwhich he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand:and he drew near the Philistine." This seemed to me butas yesterday, for I was living amid customs that have notchanged in thousands of years. Is He not "the same yester-day, and to-day, and forever"?When a shepherd goes out alone he invariably carries withhim his pipes, made of reeds, upon which he plays the weirdestmelodies. Strange as it may seem, this music keeps the shep-herd from becoming crazed by solitude.

After leaving the shepherds we began to penetrate thewilderness in earnest. Palestine is not an easyland to journeythrough on account of the many valleys, or wadys. One of thedeepest and almost impossible to cross is the valley of thebrook Kidron which flows down from Jerusalem to the Dead


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 11Sea. In a remote part of this valley is situated the monasteryof Mar Saba belonging to Greek priests. In the fifth centurya settlement of monks was founded here by St. Euthuymius.His pupil Sabas became famous for his sanctity and foundedthe order of Sabaites; hence the name.

As we approached the region near the Dead Sea the wil-derness became still more desolate, and this desolation extendsfrom the Dead Sea up to within an hour or two of Hebron,Bethlehem, and Jerusalem; so that it is easy to realize theeffect upon the ancient natives of Judea, judging by that uponthe casual visitor an overpowering sense of how narrow theborder line is between life and death, a realization of the powerof the Almighty who can make contiguous regions so oppositein character. The prophets Amos and Jeremiah both felt thefascination of the desert and painted many a word picture ofthe wrath of God or of his divine grace.

The story of Saul's hunt after David and the latter's nar-row escapes becomes very vivid to one traversing these valleys,all alike, where large parties of men might encamp near eachother without being aware of it. In addition to this wildernessbeing a refuge for fugitives, we must remember that it waswhere John the Baptist was prepared for his mission, and itwas here that our Lord suffered his temptation.All the way from Bethlehem the route seemed to be de-scending until we caught a glimpse of the Dead Sea far belowus; then we realized that we were approaching that remark-able sink thirteen hundred feet below the level of the Mediter-ranean Sea and thirty-eight hundred feet below the altitudeof Bethlehem.


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12 A CAMERA CRUSADEAlthough it was March, we began to suffer from the intense

heat. Still we wound our way around barren hills until westood on the shore of the Dead Sea, the water of which is soheavily impregnated with salt and other chemicals that nofish can live in it. So dense is this water that it is almostimpossible to swim in it; the body floats on the surface asif it were cork.

As we gazed in every direction through the peculiar hazeever present in this part of the Jordan Valley, we saw no signsof life; everywhere evidences of death and destruction. Ofthe cities that once thrived in this awful hollow, not a traceis left. Though Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed cen-turies ago, the glare of that catastrophe is still terrible in thesymbolism used by the prophets and our Lord.

From the place where the river Jordan flows into the DeadSea, it takes about an hour to ride to the Jordan ford. Pil-grims are attracted to this spot because of its association withJohn the Baptist and the baptism of Christ.

The Jordan, as a river, was a great disappointment to me,for it is not even picturesque. The water is turbid and warmand hardly fit to drink on account of its salinity. The banksare covered with a rank growth of reeds, thorn bushes, andstunted trees which plainly show the effects of the spring fresh-ets, and the current is very swift, rushing along as if enragedat being compelled to flow into the Salt Sea.

From the Sea or Lake of Galilee (six hundred and eightyfeet minus) to the Dead Sea (thirteen hundred feet minus) isa distance of about sixty-five miles; therefore the descent isnearly ten feet to the mile, hence its name Jordan, the Down-


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 13comer. The difficulty of fording it, or of swimming across iton account of the whirling currents, added to the other phys-ical features mentioned, simply emphasizes the idea of separa-tion; it surely was a dividing line.From the time when the Israelites crossed the river andentered the promised land down to the moment when Elijahsmote the waters and crossed over, the river was a bound-ary. When Elisha smote the waters with the mantle ofElijah and returned to the land, the sons of the prophets said:'The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha! And they came tomeet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him."This was the beginning of a new dispensation, the beginningof prophecy. The instrument of the Most High was to benot the state, not the laws, not even the church, but the spiritof one man.

Elisha was the first to use the river for a sacramentalpurpose; he said to Naaman the leper, "Go wash in Jordanseven times . . . and thou shalt be clean." Was not Israel'sgreatest river consecrated by these two acts most sym-bolic of religion the washing by water and the gift of theSpirit?

Is it not more than passing strange that John, in this veryplace, called upon Israel to wash and be clean; and that whereElijah bequeathed his spirit to Elisha before he departed, Johnmet his successor of whom he said, "There cometh He thatis mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I amnot worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have bap-tized you with water, but He shall baptize you with the HolyGhost"?


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i4 A CAMERA CRUSADEAnd so what was never a great Jewish river has become

a very great Christian one.From the Jordan ford we turned north-west toward Jeri-

cho. It was very hot and so we were compelled to ride slowly,when suddenly our horses pricked up their ears, began to neigh,and increased their speed until we came to a little stream ofliving water where the horses plunged in and drank. Upondiscovering that the water was fit to drink, I fell prone on myface and drank till I could drink no more. For nearly a weekI had tasted nothing but stale water purchased in Joppa. Atlast I understood what the Psalmist meant when he said, "Asthe hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soulafter thee, O God."We pitched our tents near the source of this little brook,at the foot of the Judean hills, where the natives have con-structed a small pool called the Sultan's Spring. Christianscall it Elisha's Spring, because it is believed to be the springinto which he cast the salt and said, "Thus saith the Lord, Ihave healed these waters; there shall not be from thence anymore death or barren land."

Near by are remains of a Roman road and a scanty ruinsaid to be the house of Rahab who saved the two men sent byJoshua to spy secretly. (Josh, ii.) West of the camp was a veryhigh mountain which some say is the Mount of Temptation.

Early in the morning we turned our faces toward Jerusa-lem and began to ascend by the famous Jericho road. I haveno doubt that our Lord and his disciples made use of thishighway when "He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusa-lem." (Luke ix, 51.)


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 15On the way we passed by the ruins of an inn said to be the

scene of the parable of the good Samaritan who helped theman who fell among thieves. I have no doubt of the truth ofthe latter assertion, for the thieves' descendants are there to-day. While the rest of the party went on, I climbed up oneof the hills by the side of the road so that I could look downinto the valley of the brook Cherith (I Kings xvii) whereElijah hid himself from Jezebel.

About half-way to Jerusalem we passed a poor little spring,the only one on the way, called the Apostle's Spring, nearwhich were several hundreds of Russian pilgrims on their wayto be baptized in the Jordan. They had stopped for rest andtheir mid-day meal, after which they arose and sang a thrillingchant of thanksgiving. Never have I been so moved by anychoir or chorus in my own land. Their luncheon consisted ofa crust of bread and a little tea. Weary and footsore, theyslowly went on their way steadfastly toward the Jordan.Many were nearing the horizon of life, having toiled for manyyears to save enough to make this pilgrimage. In spite ofeverything there was a look upon their faces that I shallnever forget. I felt almost ashamed to be on horseback.

This highway through the wilderness is very dreary, andthe reflection of the sun's rays from the white limestone for-mation is almost unbearable. There is no shelter from theheat of the day, no tree, and only here and there a tuft of grassupon which the goats and sheep exist.

Oh! for the shade of a tree only for a little while! As thisthought or prayer possessed me I turned, and before my eyeswas a beautiful illustration of "The shadow of a great rock


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16 A CAMERA CRUSADEin a weary land." There before me were little kids and lambsresting in the shadow of a great rock. So comfortable werethey, nestled together in that refreshing shadow, I had notthe heart to drive them away, for I was thinking of the prophetIsaiah's words, "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, astrength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm,a shadow from the heat." Surely, his mercy endureth forever.

As I stood near this great rock and gazed over Judea to-ward the Jordan I asked myself if the land was always as itis to-day a land of stone, almost waterless, most of it tree-less, here and there small patches where the vine might grow,no fields, except around Bethlehem, where grain would thrive,no farming as we understand it, nothing but here and therewandering shepherds searching for green pastures for theirflocks?

Jeremiah answered my question when he said (xxxiii, 10,12, 13), "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; again in this placewhich is desolate without man and without beast, and in allthe cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causingtheir flocks to lie down."

"In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale,and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, andin the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah,shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that tell-eth them, saith the Lord."

Judah was destined to be pastoral, in Judah the GoodShepherd was born, in Judah the Good Shepherd gave hislife for the sheep. (John x, n, 15.)

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 17one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the in-iquity of us all." (Isa. liii, 6.)

"I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions,and as a cloud, thy sins: return to me; for I have redeemedthee." (Isa. xliv, 22.)

Hot and weary, we slowly followed the Jericho road untilwe reached the little town of Bethany where Jesus oftenlodged; where he was anointed by Mary with the preciousointment; where he raised Lazarus from the dead; andwhere the ascension took place. The supposed ruins of thehouse of Mary and her sister Martha are still shown, anddirectly behind is a little mosque with a small dome, builtby the Mohammedans over the tomb of Lazarus, for theyregard him as a saint. There is nothing to prove that thesetwo sites are genuine, nor is anything certain known regard-ing the places here visited by Christ. The town is situatedon a hill, somewhat like Bethlehem, and presents a pleasingcontrast to the desolate environs on account of the olive andfig trees which seem to thrive here as they used to in the timeof Christ. (Matt, xxi, 19.)

As we left Bethany I saw two women at a mill grindingtogether just as Christ had said, "Two women shall be grind-ing together; the one shall be taken, and the other left."(Luke xvii, 35.)

Between Bethany and Jerusalem rises the Mount ofOlives to an altitude of over two thousand seven hundredfeet. It is stony and barren like most of the hills aroundJerusalem, but the slopes are partially cultivated and thereare still a few olive trees growing upon it.


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i8 A CAMERA CRUSADEEzekiel and Zechariah both mentioned the Mount of

Olives, and Matthew, Mark, and Luke often refer to it as aplace frequented by Christ.

Quite a number of buildings have been erected upon themount by the various religious sects, each claiming to havethe true location of places associated with Christ during hissojourn in and near Jerusalem. So bitterly do the followersof the different Christian churches dispute about these andother things that they often come to blows.

While I was in the Holy Land, the priests of one churchgot into an altercation with those of another and fought eachother with the brass-bound books of the church. Two werekilled and many were seriously injured in a building conse-crated to the worship of him who said, " By this shall all menknow that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

The ignominy of this disgraceful incident was increasedby the fact that Mohammedan soldiers were summoned toquell the disturbance. Now I know at least one reason whyMohammedans despise Christians. "Thou makest us a re-proach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them thatare round about us." (Psalms xliv, 13.)Had it not been for one of my favorite verses in the Bible,I should have then and there given up my camera crusadeand my search for the truth in the Holy Land. "Let notyour heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

The shock was so great, however, that I did not thengo into Jerusalem; I looked over the city from the Mountof Olives, north-west toward Mizpah in the distance, andstarted north toward Samaria.


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THE NORTHAFTER a ride of about four hours we arrived at Bethel,

one of the ancient sanctuaries of Israel and the lower boun-dary of Samaria. Here it was that Jacob had his wonderfulvision, "and he called the name of that place Bethel: butthe name of that city was called Luz at first."Bethel means God's house. Of the ancient city nothingis left; the site of it is now occupied by a few stone hovelsthat shelter a disreputable gang of thieves. (Jer. vii, n.)This is very much like the temple at Jerusalem in the timeof Christ: "My house shall be called the house of prayer;but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Matt, xxi, 13.)

The great highway leading northward from Jerusalem toSamaria is the worst specimen of a road I have ever seen.Now I know why there were no chariots in Judea with theexception of those on two funereal occasions: first, when hisservants carried Ahaziah in a chariot to Jerusalem from theplain of Megiddo; and, secondly, when Josiah was carriedback to the same city. (II Kings ix, 28; II Chron. xxxv, 24.)When people came down from Galilee or Samaria, theygenerally went down the Jordan valley and then took theJericho road up to Jerusalem.

Not far north of Bethel there is a splendid view of thestony hills and fertile valleys of Samaria. Upon some of thehigh places or hills were little villages, almost indistinguish-

19


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20 A CAMERA CRUSADEable, because the small houses were built of the same kind ofstone so plentiful everywhere.

One never sees farm-houses scattered over the countryas in other lands; they are always grouped close together ona high place as in ancient times. For as of old, even to thisday, bands of Arab marauders swoop down upon these val-leys, like a hawk upon its prey without warning, and theyleave nothing of any value after them.

Upon one of the hills to the right were some large hewnstones; these indicated the site of Shiloh, the home of Eliand of the boy Samuel, the place where the whole congre-gation of the children of Israel assembled together and set upthe tabernacle of the congregation.

The story of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant bythe Philistines and its subsequent return to Shiloh is one ofthe most dramatic descriptions in the Bible. (I Sam. iv, v,vi, vii.)

It is not known when the destruction of Shiloh took place,although it is referred to in Jer. vii, 12, 14, and xxvi, 6.

Late in the afternoon, after riding all day through narrow,winding valleys, we entered a beautiful broad valley which isguarded by the great Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Theview was more impressive than any we had yet seen, quite inkeeping with the entrance of the Israelites into the promisedland and the great events which took place on and near thesetwo mountains.

Sichem, or Shechem, the first capital of the land, and nowthe capital of the province, is situated in the pass betweenMount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Abraham and Jacob came


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 21at once to Sichem on their entrance into the promised land.Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim together were the scene ofthe great inaugural service by all Israel on taking possessionof the country.

The episode of Abimelech occurred at Shechem, and herewas held the national assembly which resulted in the separa-tion of the northern tribes from the southern. Jeroboam madeShechem his residence, while Rehoboam "made speed to gethim up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem." To make the sep-aration more complete and to prevent his people from goingto Jerusalem to worship, Jeroboam set up a golden image inDan and another in Bethel.

The environs of Shechem are very fertile and there arecopious springs, but the water is not pleasant to drink be-cause it contains so much carbonate of lime in solution. Manyof these springs become exhausted during the summer months.A few of the descendants of the ancient Samaritans stilldwell here, and in their synagogue they jealously guard a veryold codex of the Pentateuch. Although all these things areintensely interesting, they are eclipsed by a "parcel of groundthat Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well wasthere." (John iv, 5, 6; Gen. xxxiii, 19.)

From the eastern slope of Mount Ebal there is a magnifi-cent view of Mount Gerizim and the valley to the south. Im-mediately below Mount Ebal lies the little village of Ain Askar,or Sychar, while a little farther on is "a parcel of ground"surrounded by a stone wall, built by the Greeks who now ownthis property. Within the enclosure is the ruin of a very oldchurch, built many centuries ago, directly over Jacob's well.


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22 A CAMERA CRUSADEThere is not the shadow of a doubt about this being the well.Jews, Christians, and Muslims all agree that it is the well ofJacob.

In order to reach this sacred spot, it is necessary to climbdown some steep steps into a small chapel which was builtdirectly over the well itself. As I entered I felt, as I did in noother place in the Holy Land, that I was in a holy place; forthis was the well upon which Jesus sat, being wearied with hisjourney, and there came a woman of Samaria to draw water."Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink." After a wonderfulconversation, full of spiritual meaning, the woman said, "Iknow that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he iscome, he will tell us all things."

"Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He."(John iv, 3-26.)

Long ago when Moses turned aside to see why the bushwas not burnt, God called to him and said, "Draw not nighhither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the placewhereon thou standest is holy ground."

"Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the Godof Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. AndMoses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."(Ex. iii, 3-6.)"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM." (Ex. iii, 14.)

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Be-fore Abraham was, I am." (John viii, 58.) "I am Alphaand Omega. The beginning and the end, saith the Lordwhich is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."(Rev. i, 8.)


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 23Overwhelmed with emotions that surpass description, I

slowly left the well of Jacob. "Whosoever drinketh of thewater that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the waterthat I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springingup into everlasting life." (John iv, 14.)"And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."(Rev. xxii, 17.)

That curbstone over Jacob's well was my "Ebenezer";for there the Lord helped me. There, at that stone, came tome the "Peace of God which passeth all understanding."

As the shepherd puts a stone in his sling and casts it ata wandering sheep, as I have already mentioned, so it seemsto me God Almighty often throws a stone that it may causethe wanderer to look up. "For whom the Lord loveth hechasteneth." (Heb. xii, 6.)

"Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth, Lord, andteachest him out of thy law." (Psalm xciv, 12.)

Only a short distance from the well is the village of Sychar,where a Samaritan woman lived who went to the well todraw water. I walked through the village and chanced tosee a Samaritan woman with a water jar on her head aboutto go to draw water.

My camera caught a picture that will live with me for-ever, a woman of Samaria, carrying her little child in herbosom, standing in a doorway which had been sprinkledwith the blood of a lamb for it was at the time of the feastof the Passover "There cometh a woman of Samaria todraw water." It was early in the morning that she came outof the door to go and draw water, quite in keeping with the


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24 A CAMERA CRUSADEold law of Moses: "Draw out and take you a lamb accord-ing to your families, and kill the passover."

"And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in theblood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the twoside-posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none ofyou shall go out at the door of his house until the morning."(Ex. xii, 21, 22.)

So even to this day do they keep this, the law of the oldcovenant.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, "that I will makea new covenant with the house of Israel and with the houseof Judah: not according to the covenant that I made withtheir fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bringthem out of the land of Egypt." (Jer. xxxi, 31, 32.)"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessedit, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take,eat; this is my body."

"And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it tothem, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of thenew testament, which is shed for many for the remission ofsins." (Matt, xxvi, 26, 27, 28.)

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sinof the world." (John i, 29.)" Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be untohim that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for everand ever." (Rev. v, 13.)

After reading the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, I turnedmy face northward toward Sebaste, the city of Samaria, builtupon a hill like most of the fortresses of Samaria. As we ap-


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 25preached the hill upon which the modern town of Sebaste issituated, wide and fertile valleys stretched out in everydirection before us. This is the striking feature of Samaria,its openness.

The landscape was refreshing after the desolate hills anddales of Judea.

The history of this northern part of Israel is extremelyinteresting, although it can hardly be looked upon as the HolyLand in the same sense as Judea or Galilee. The patriarchscame here first, and then made their homes in Hebron; theearliest sanctuaries of Israel were here, but Jerusalem be-came the centre of church and state. At first the prophetsand heroes of the north shone resplendent, but those of Judahendured and the kingship remained with Judah.

There is nothing in all Samaria that appeals to the pil-grim of to-day like the place where Jesus rested as he wentthrough it, and he passed through it only of necessity. (Johniv, 4.)

Omri bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talentsof silver, about $3,285, equal to ten times that amount to-day in purchasing power.And he called the name of the city which he built afterthe name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Shomeron, whichis the Hebrew for Samaria.

The first capital of Israel was Tirzah, a little to the north-east of Shechem. Samaria was the second capital and thescene of many events under the kings. It was captured bythe Syrians, also by the Assyrians, and rebuilt by Herod theGreat, who named the city Sebaste (Augusta) in honor of


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26 A CAMERA CRUSADEAugustus. The only remains which pertain to his time area row of columns which probably stood near the temple,erected in honor of the Emperor.

According to tradition, John the Baptist was beheadedhere, but Josephus says that this occurred at Machaerus(Mukaur), a fortified town east of the Dead Sea, where theunhappy survivors of the destruction of Jerusalem fled forrefuge.

North of Sebaste the valleys widen and finally becomegreat plains such as Megiddo (Esdraelon) and Jezreel, whichextend from the sea on the west to the Jordan. This is thereason why few invaders were successfully resisted.

The most interesting effect of this openness of Samariais the use of the chariot, as related in the Old Testament.Ahab rode in his chariot from Carmel to Jezreel (I Kingsxvii, 44) ; his chariot was his funeral car from Ramoth-Gileadto Samaria (I Kings xxii, 29). Jehu rode in a chariot to Jez-reel, and the watchman said to Joram, "The driving is likethe driving ofJehu, the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously"(II Kings ix, 16); Jehu pursued Ahaziah, the son of Ahab,and after Ahaziah's death, his servants carried his body in achariot to Jerusalem (II Kings ix, 27, 28) ; Jehu rode fromJezreel to Samaria (Sebaste) and tooh up Jehonadab into hischariot and boastfully said, "Come with me and see myzeal for the Lord"; and then Naaman made the long drivefrom Damascus to the house of Elisha in Samaria, and thenrode all the way back again (II Kings v); the King of Syriasent a great host with horses and chariots to surround Dothanin order to capture Elisha. (II Kings vi, 13 ff.)


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 27If one reads these accounts carefully, the cause of the fall

and destruction of open Samaria can readily be discerned.About two hours north of Sebaste we passed the site ofDothan where Joseph's brethren conspired against him to

slay him (Gen. xxxvii, 15), and we camped near the townof Jenin (Engannin), situated on the edge of the plain ofJezreel, the Greek name of which is Esdraelon, while inthe Old Testament it is Megiddo. This plain was thebattle-field of the great empires of the world at one timeor another, but always the prey and pasture of the wildbands of Arabs who came every spring as regularly as theseasons, and a few years ago the peasants got rid of theseArab marauders, only to be bought up by rich Greeks fromBeyrout.

Thus we see the "mutability, the irrevocable lot, of manand all his works." (Irving.)

As we entered the plain of Jezreel we met a caravan ladenwith goods from the Far East. This made us realize that wewere approaching the place where the great highways con-necting the east and the west, the south and the northcrossed each other.

Upon the highest point of the plain stands the miserablevillage of Zerin, the ancient Jezreel, a town of Issachar, theson of Jacob and Leah. When Jacob called his sons togetherto tell them what was to befall them, he said of this one:"Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two bur-dens: and he saw that rest was good, and the land that itwas pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became aservant unto tribute." (Gen. xlix, 14, 15.)


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28 A CAMERA CRUSADEThis is one of the many passages in the Bible so hard to

understand because we have not the customs nor the environ-ment necessary to understand fully the figurative languageused in the East even to this day. It means that this plainis stretched out between the hills just as an ass stretches him-self out whenever he gets the opportunity to take a rest; and,moreover, it is very fertile and therefore pleasant to one ac-customed to the stony hills or sheepfolds; but it must be paidfor by hard work and by paying tribute as a vassal. Thathas been the history of this plain.

Jezreel was the home of the infamous Jezebel, from whomElijah fled in terror.

The other references given in connection with the chariotswill quite suffice the reader.

Near Jezreel we saw some Arabs ploughing the rich soilwith ploughs made after the ancient pattern, simply the*curved stump of a small tree shod with a point of iron.Behind the plough walks the ploughman, carrying in onehand a long stick with a sharp point for the purpose ofpricking the oxen to make them work, just as we use a whipupon a lazy animal to-day. It would certainly be hard forthem to "kick against the pricks." This is used figurativelyin Acts ix, 5; v, 39, and vii, 51.The plain of Jezreel descends gradually to the Jordanwhere there are several fords, one of which Naaman musthave used when he came from Damascus to seek the prophetElisha in the hope of being cured of his leprosy. Perhaps thevery one used as an illustration is where he washed in theJordan seven times and was healed.


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 29Toward the east the plain gradually rises until it culmi-

nates in the lofty ridge of Mount Carmel close by the sea. Inthe north rises Mount Tabor like a great round dome. Thesetwo mountains are frequently used in the Scriptures as sym-bols of strength or certainty. From the earliest times MountCarmel was used as a sanctuary; there was an altar to Baal,and likewise one to Jehovah, which was broken down. Thecontest which took place here between the prophets of Baaland the prophet of the Lord is recorded in the most dramaticmanner in I Kings xviii.

North of the great plain lies the province of Galilee aboutwhich hover so many holy memories.

As we approached Nazareth we crossed the great caravanroute from Egypt to Damascus and found ourselves at thevery cross-roads of this part of the world. Nazareth is situ-ated in a kind of basin surrounded on the north by hills. Fromthe town itself there is no view at all, but from the tops of thehills the views in every direction are wonderful. To the southEsdraelon lies before you so rich in important events, and thenMount Carmel and the place of Elisha's sacrifice; to the eastthe valley of the Jordan and the range of Gilead; to thewest the Great Sea with the ships of Tarshish; to the northa landscape of hills and dales more fertile and better wateredthan any other section of Palestine; to this add the greatroutes which pass through or near by Nazareth and you willno longer wonder why the boy Jesus was brought up here.The view from the hills is like a map of Old Testament his-tory, while over these roads passed all the nations of the earth,bringing news and gossip from everywhere just as to-day.


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30 A CAMERA CRUSADESo Nazareth was not an obscure, secluded village; it was thevery opposite, and he grew up under these conditions, "inall points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." I am con-vinced that he was in this land but not of it.

In the town there is but one spring or fountain, as it iscalled in that land, where I have no doubt Mary the motherof Jesus used to go to draw water just as the women of Naz-areth do to this day. The natives call it the Well of Mary.The tiled roofs of the modern town show the Prankish orEuropean invasion of Nazareth.

The first town we saw after leaving Nazareth was Cana ofGalilee, where the first miracle that is recorded was performed,the changing of the water into wine at a wedding feast.

After a pleasant ride over a road that wound its wayaround and over many hills, we came to the "high mountain"named the Mount of the Beatitudes, where probably theSermon on the Mount was preached to the multitude. Stand-ing on this mount, my voice was easily heard by my friendsscattered about the fields below. While the acoustics of thisplace would permit many to hear his wonderful sermon, onlythose heard who had ears to hear.

To the east, far below this mount, lay the glittering blue-Lake of Galilee in the deep valley of the Jordan, at this pointsix hundred and eighty feet below the level of the sea. As Irode over the same road that Christ used so long ago, it seemedto me that again was I in a holy place, for nearly all of theministry of Christ was accomplished in this vicinity.The contrasts presented by the situation of the Lake ofGalilee and its surroundings are startling. Here in this deep


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 31valley or trench lies the lake of clear fresh water, full of fish,the color of the water a sparkling blue, the surface of which isoften broken into little ripples by the cool breezes from thesnow-capped Lebanon and Hermon, and sometimes lashedinto furious waves by the sudden gusts of wind that swoopdown upon the lake from the sterile volcanic heights whichalmost encompass the whole shore.How different it must have been when Christ went aboutthese shores and hills doing good. Then the hills were coveredwith trees and the shores were lined with villages and large,busy towns, for people were attracted to this beautiful lakefrom every land and nation.

Trees and plants of the temperate and the tropical zonescould here grow in close proximity because of the steep slopeof the hills which fall from an altitude of four thousand feetabove the sea to six hundred and eighty feet below at theshores of the Lake of Galilee.

Josephus, who described this province which he governedonly a few years after the time of Christ, writes: "The plainof Gennesaret had soil so fruitful that all sorts of trees wouldgrow upon it, for the temper of the air is so well blended thatit suits those many sorts, especially walnuts which require thecolder air (relatively to the rest), and flourish there in greatplenty. There are palm trees also which grow best in hot air;fig trees also, and olives grow near them, which require an airmore temperate."

The few little gardens I saw in my wanderings around thelake gave proof of this luxuriance which is accentuated bywealth of wild flowers everywhere, except in the vicinity of


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32 A CAMERA CRUSADEthe hot springs near the town of Tiberias. This town, builton the site of an ancient city by Herod and named after theRoman Emperor, is the only one remaining of the many citiesof other days. It is of little interest to the Christian and wasdetested by the Jew, because they considered the place defiled.Perhaps it is for this reason, and because it was new, that itis not mentioned in the ministry of Christ. At all events, thissection of the shore of the lake is unhealthy and not as pleas-ant as the parts farther north.

The hot springs or baths of Tiberias lie close to the shoreabout a mile below Tiberias. In spite of the changes every-where which have obliterated names and sites, these springshave preserved their reputation and name. Joshua calledthem Hammath and to-day the natives speak of them asHammam Tabariyeh, and, as of old, many are brought hereto be cured of their ills. The springs are built over with bath-houses which are not at all inviting and indescribably dirty,like most of the native structures in this vicinity.

One day I chanced to see four fishing-boats on the lake, anunusual sight to-day, and I thought of other days when theremust have been many who made fishing their business. NearCapernaum I watched the fishermen casting their nets andI drew near in time to see them haul the net, but that time"they caught nothing." How close that brought me to thetime when Jesus stood on that shore and said, "Children, haveye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said untothem, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shallfind. They cast therefore, and now they were not able todraw it for the multitude of fishes." (John xxi.)


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 33The exact site of Capernaum is still in dispute, so we can-

not say just where the home of Christ was, but it was some-where in this immediate vicinity where I stood and watchedthe fishermen.

How singular it was that Christ sought for his dis-ciples among the free hardy fishermen, independent, yet notwealthy, simple and receptive. And Jesus said unto them,"Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishersof men."

We entered a boat and sailed to the place where the Jor-dan flows into the Sea of Galilee. Beyond the eastern bank ofthe river lay a plain covered with grass and low bushes. Thisprobably is where Christ fed the multitude with the loavesand fishes.

Bethsaida probably stood just a short distance up the river,but there is not a vestige of it left now. And so it is with Cho-razin and Capernaum, a complete fulfilment of the upbraidingof " the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done,because they repented not." (Matt, xi, 20-24.)"And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven,shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, whichhave been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it wouldhave remained until this day."

Our little company were loath to turn from these placesof sacred memory to continue the journey along the routeto Damascus.

The valley of the upper Jordan offers little of interest inthe way of towns or life, and yet there I saw the "still waters"and "green pastures." The children of the East come up


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34 A CAMERA CRUSADEhere with their cattle and their tents in search of pasture justas they have done since the time or before the time of Moses.Their black tents made of camel's hair by the women areso constructed that they may be quickly set up and as speedilystruck, as it were in a moment. How great must have beenthe terror of Ben-hadad, King of Syria, and his hosts when"they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents andtheir horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fledfor their life." (II Kings vii, 7.)

These nomads are troublesome people to deal with, forthey have inherited the tendency to relieve passers-by of theirworldly goods and possessions. It is therefore well to travelwith a party and not alone.

After paying tribute to the sheik, according to ancientcustom, we continued up by the waters of Merom with thegreat Mount Hermon in the background dominating themarshy valley of the Jordan, now only seven feet below sea-level. There were many little brooks flowing down from thespurs of Lebanon, which still was hidden from us. It was in-teresting to watch the goatherds and the shepherds lead theirflocks down to the still v/aters, and they separated the sheepfrom the goats.

Above the waters of Merom the valley suddenly narrowsand the Jordan flows for some distance through a wild, rockyravine which is spanned by a dilapidated stone bridge builtby the Romans. As far as the eye could see, the river bankswere resplendent with oleanders in full bloom.

After crossing the bridge we began the ascent of the foot-hills of Mount Hermon. We passed a magnificent oak tree


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 35under which were several tombs. The oak tree is frequentlymentioned in the Scriptures; Deborah was buried under anoak; Joshua set up a great stone under an oak; Jacob hidall the strange gods and the ear-rings under an oak; Absa-lom's hair caught hold of the oak; it seemed to be regardedwith great reverence in the olden days by every one, even asby the Muslims to-day.

After a steady ascent for more than an hour we arrivedat Tell-el-kadi, one of the supposed sites of Laish, which theDanites took for their city.

About an hour farther on is Banias which I think is morelikely to be the site of ancient Dan, for Banias seems to bethe key to this whole district. Trees and undergrowth weremost luxuriant and hid from view the gushing, headlong streamwhich we soon crossed by means of an old Roman bridge. Afew steps beyond the bridge a great cliff one hundred and fiftyfeet high suddenly confronts you. In the cliff is a great cavernfrom which the Jordan issues, full born, with the sound ofjoyous, bubbling water. The mouth of the cavern is now al-most concealed by masses of broken rocks ':hat have brokenaway from the cliff for many centuries.No one takes care of this wonderful spot now, but the manyniches cut deep into the walls of the cliff indicate that this wasa sanctuary in by-gone days, where man fell on his face andworshipped his God. It might have been Baal or Pan, thegods of the Greeks or of the Romans, of the Syrians and ofthe Assyrians; no matter by what name, the individual heregave thanks for the blessed gift of pure water, clear as crystal.Here, from the very foundations of snowy Mount Hermon,


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36 A CAMERA CRUSADEsprings forth that river, the like of which there is not anotheron this earth.

In its geographical aspect the Jordan is most remarkable,for it rises at an altitude of over one thousand one hundredand fifty feet, flows through an extraordinary trench or valleymost of the way below sea-level until it empties into the DeadSea one thousand three hundred feet below the level of theocean.

In its religious aspect it stands alone, for it is the symbolof the beginning of the Christian life, baptism, and the end-ing, the waters of death, which separate him from the promisedland. Although the river is referred to directly only a fewtimes in the Bible, the symbolical references are almost with-out number.

This visit to the source of the Jordan was a revelation tome, for here, surrounded by the images of various gods, stoodJesus Christ himself and his disciples (for they had soughtrefuge from the hostility of the Jews in this place Banias, whichwas Caesarea Philippi), and he asked his disciples, saying,"Whom do men say that I the son of man am ? And they said,Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; andothers, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them,But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered andsaid, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." (Matt.xvi, 13, 16.)

Is it not wonderful that this declaration should have beenmade in the presence, as it were, of the gods of other religions ?And especially near that temple where the Emperor Augustuswas worshipped as God ?


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 37It was here that he resolved to return to Jerusalem "and

suffer many things," so " He steadfastly set his face to go toJerusalem."As I stood here at the source of the Jordan looking at thispure stream welling forth to bless the earth, and rememberedthat on this very spot was made the first confession of manthat Christ was the Son of God, one verse of Revelation cameto me and has lived with me, "And he shewed me a pureriver of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of thethrone of God and of the lamb."In all probability Christ never went farther north thanBanias or Caesarea Philippi. Although Damascus is not inthe Holy Land, it is so closely connected with its history thateven if Paul had not gone there and boldly preached Christafter his conversion it is worth the time and trouble, beingonly sixteen hours from Banias.

(Since the completion of the railways, Damascus is easilyreached either from Haifa or Beyrout.)

As I journeyed over the ancient road, I read the accountof Paul's journey to Damascus. (Acts ix.) How vivid itall was as I entered the city and walked through the streetthat is called straight and then saw the Christian section,which has never recovered from the terrible devastation towhich it was subjected in 1860, when more than six thou-sand Christians were massacred!

After visiting the most attractive bazaars, the finest inthe Far East, I passed through an old-fashioned gate andwalked along the road outside the walls of the city and wasshown the window through which Paul was let down by


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38 A CAMERA CRUSADEthe wall in a basket. Now as this wall was built by theTurks centuries after Paul visited Damascus, this could notpossibly be the window.This is one of the many instances where this, that, or theother place is pointed out by the various churches in the HolyLand as the true site without a scintilla of proof and oftenin direct contradiction of well-known historical facts. I men-tion this as a warning to any intending to visit Palestine."And the king said unto him, How many times shall Iadjure thee that thou tell me nothing but -that which is truein the name of the Lord?" (I Kings xxii, 16.)

Damascus has always been regarded as an earthly paradiseby the Arabs who describe paradise as being a garden full offruit trees, watered by a stream of flowing water, yieldingall manner of delicious fruits ever ripe for the delectation ofthe faithful. We, who are blessed with green hills and dales,with gurgling brooks everywhere so numerous that theirmusic becomes common and is hardly noticed, cannot appre-ciate the emotions of those who live in, and wander over,the hot sands of the desert when they suddenly come uponDamascus with its gardens and orchards watered by the riversBarada (Abana) and Nahr el Awaj (Pharpar).

From the top of a house I looked over the city, with itsmany minarets, and the river Barada toward Mount Hermon,and could distinctly see the triple peaks covered with snow.Many of the best authorities agree that the transfigurationof Christ took place upon this "high mountain apart."

This seems very probable to me, for Christ stayed severaldays at Banias, that place of refuge, just at the base of Mount


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 39Hermon, and the ascent of the mountain is not difficult.(Compare Matt, xvii, i; Mark ix, 2; Luke ix, 28.)From the top of the mountain one can see nearly all ofSyria. The haze which seems to be ever present in the lowvalley of the Jordan prevents a distinct view farther than theSea or Lake of Galilee. Tabor and Carmel were hardly dis-tinguishable. The mountains of Lebanon seemed to stretchout in every direction like the roots of a great oak. Hoseamust have seen this view, for he writes: "I will be as the dewunto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his rootsas Lebanon." (Hosea xiv, 5.)

It is on account of these mountains that Galilee has moredew and rain than Samaria and Judea.

Having seen these great mountains of the north, I re-turned to the Mount of Olives so often visited by Christ andlooked once more toward Jerusalem.


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JERUSALEMFROM the top of the Mount of Olives the city lies before

you "builded as a city that is compact together" upon anisland of rocks surrounded by deep valleys, except on thenorth. The temple and the palaces of the kings have disap-peared; its mighty towers have been laid low; there is noth-ing left to indicate the former greatness of Judah's capitalexcept her situation.

The city could easily be attacked and taken, but it couldnot be held unless all the neighboring hills had been capturedbeforehand; therefore I think that is what the psalmist hadin mind in the beginning of his beautiful song: "I will liftmine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."(Psalm cxxi.)

Psalm xlviii : " Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praisedin the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is MountZion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king."

Truly the situation of Mount Zion, where the templestood, is beautiful, but now desolate. The sad prediction ofChrist is fulfilled: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killestthe prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee;how often would I have gathered thy children together, asa hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye wouldnot! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verilyI say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 41ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of theLord." (Luke xiii, 34, 35; compare Isa. xxx, 15.)

One Friday I stood in the wailing-place of the Jews andheard their sad litany:"For the palace that lies desolate: We sit in solitude and

mourn.For the walls that are overthrown: We sit in solitude and

mourn.For our majesty that is departed: We sit in solitude andmourn.We pray thee, have mercy on Zion! Gather the children of

Jerusalem."Profoundly moved, I turned away, filled with compassion

and wonder. They were using the very words uttered byChrist! And they will continue doing so "until the timecome." The miracle of to-day ! The Jew! (Deut. iv, 25-40.)How do those who decry miracles explain the Jew, scat-tered to the uttermost parts of the earth? Dwelling amongall peoples, yet distinct and separate.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannotsave; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But youriniquities have separated between you and your God, andyour sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."(Isa. lix, i, 2.) But the time will come as predicted, for "hewill not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever."(Ps. ciii)

"I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and the joy of my people:and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, northe voice of crying." (Isa. Ixv, 19.)


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42 A CAMERA CRUSADEThe great wall of the wailing-place, against which the

Jews lean in their sorrow, is exposed for a distance of aboutone hundred and fifty feet and is fifty-six feet high abovethe present level of the pavement. Some of the stones arehuge and show the eroding effect of time.

From the wailing-place I went to the site of the temple,near the place where David built an altar unto the Lord.This large quadrangular place, now called the Haram esh-Sherif, is paved with great blocks of stone. __ Scattered overthis great stone platform are many places of prayer for thefaithful Muslims, for they are now in possession of this, one ofthe most interesting spots in the world. All creeds agreethat the sanctuary of the Lord God Almighty stood hereuntil the fulfilment of the prophecy in I Kings ix, 7.

"Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I havegiven them; and this house, which I have hallowed for myname, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverband a byword among all people.""And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stoneupon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matt,xxiv, 2.)

Near the centre of this platform is a Mohammedanmosque, called the Mosque of Omar, which stands directlyover the dome of the rock. The Mohammedans will not al-low excavations or investigations to be made here, which isa great pity, for I believe that upon this sacred rock oncestood the Ark of the Covenant and that the great altar ofsacrifice was here.


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 43According to Jewish tradition, Abraham and Melchize-

dek sacrificed here; Abraham was about to sacrifice his onlyson Isaac upon this place, which he called Jehovah-jireh,"the Lord will provide"; and on this rock was written thegreat and unspeakable name of God, which, according totradition, Jesus succeeded in reading and so was able to workhis miracles. These are a few of the traditions which havebeen handed down from generation to generation, and theJews of to-day cling to them most tenaciously.Solomon's temple must have been magnificent accordingto the description given in II Chronicles; the second temple,erected after the return from exile, was inferior; while thethird temple, which Herod built, was superior to that ofSolomon. Many have endeavored to reconstruct and re-produce the temple in word pictures or drawings from thevery unsatisfactory description given by Josephus.The present structure is a fine example of Arabian archi-tecture following Byzantine designs. This beautiful buildingproduced such an impression on the templars in the MiddleAges that they thought it was the temple of Solomon andcarried the design back to Europe with them. Young Raphaelsaw this design and used it in his famous painting of theSposalizio, the nuptials of the Virgin, now in the Brera Gal-lery at Milan.

I believe, however, that it was the purpose of God Al-mighty to destroy the temple so utterly that man would turnfrom the contemplation of sticks and stones unto him whosaid, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise itup." (John ii, 19.)


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 45Christ's instructions to the two disciples, "Go" ye into thecity, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcherof water: follow him, . . . and he will show you a largeupper room furnished and prepared: there make readyfor us."

I went up into the room; it was the guest-chamber ofthe good man of the house, and I have no doubt that it wasmuch like the one in which Christ and his disciples kept thePassover, and instituted the sacrament of the holy com-munion. "This do in remembrance of me." It seemed asthough I was to have two things to remember, for underthat room was a manger just like the one where Christ ourpassover was born.

Not far from this house I was shown a pool far below thepresent level of the street, near the sheep market. It iscalled the Pool of Bethesda. It appears to correspond withthe description given in John v, 2, but there is nothing toprove that this is the pool where an angel went down at acertain season and troubled the water. And this difficultymeets one everywhere in Jerusalem, and it will not be re-moved until the whole city has been thoroughly excavated,a thing that is utterly impossible under the present govern-ment.

I made very few photographs within the city walls, and Ireceived very few impressions pleasant to remember or thatwere edifying.

One night as I sat in my tent on the Mount of Olivesreading descriptions of Jerusalem in the Old Testament, Iread Psalms xlviii, 12, 13, 14. "Walk about Zion, and go


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46 A CAMERA CRUSADEround about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well herbulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to thegeneration following. For this God is our God for ever andever: he will be our guide even unto death."

It seemed to be a command. Early in the morning I en-tered Jerusalem for the last time by the gate where St. Ste-phen was stoned to death, walked rapidly through the quaintarched streets until I reached the Joppa gate; there I beganmy walk round about Jerusalem."Tell the towers thereof." Alas, there is only one left,called the Tower of David. It stands high up above the well-preserved west wall of the city.

David said "For thou hast been a shelter for me, and astrong tower from the enemy." Just below David's toweris the Pool of Gihon, built by Hezekiah so as to preserve thewater of the brook Gihon. Jerusalem is really destitute ofwater except one poor little spring. The inhabitants dependupon rain water caught in cisterns. I then walked southbeyond the valley of Hinnom, and from a hill looked north-east over the valley toward the south-eastern slope of MountZion, the Tyropoean valley, with the village of Siloam onthe right and the Mount of Olives with its Russian tower inthe background.

Then I walked down into the Valley of Hinnom, which wasthe ancient southern border of the city of David. To the leftof this valley rises the Mount of Evil Counsel, where the lastview was obtained. It is so named because Caiaphas pos-sessed a country house here in which he consulted with theJews how he might kill Jesus.


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 47It was in this valley that children were at one time sacri-

ficed to Moloch; therefore the place was called Tophet, theplace of fire. The Jews detested the place and called it Ge-henna. To the left, under the Mount of Evil Counsel, aremany tombs cut deep into the rock.

This valley runs nearly east and west. Turning to thenorth, the valley of the brook Kidron leads by the village ofSiloam to the Pool of Siloam. I was a church organist formany years and often played that hymn, "By Cool Siloam'sShady Rill." I will never play that again. Whoever wrotethat hymn had never smelt that pool. Perhaps it was notso bad in David's time.

Just above this is the Tyropoean Valley, now filled up withrubbish. This valley is not mentioned in the Bible; thename is Greek and means the valley of dung; it is mostappropriately named. In David's time this valley was muchdeeper than it is now and was probably the western boundaryof the city of David. From the Pool of Siloam the view southis very picturesque. On the right the Valley of Hinnom entersthe King's Dale and meets the valley of the brook Kidron.At the junction of these two valleys is a well, covered witha domed structure, which the Muslims without reason callJob's Well. I am convinced that this is the well by En-rogel,where Jonathan and Ahimaaz went down into a well and awoman covered the well's mouth so that the thing was notknown. (II Sam. xvii, 15-22.)

From the well which I prefer to call En-rogel the view upthe Kidron Valley is striking. On the right is the village ofSiloah, or Siloam, then the valley of the brook Kidron, with


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48 A CAMERA CRUSADEthe corner of the temple wall high up on the left. It wasacross this valley that David and all his followers fled fromhis son Absalom.

A little farther up the valley is the only spring in or nearJerusalem; it is called the Spring of Mary. In the oldentimes it was called the Spring of Gihon. Here I saw littlegirls go down and fill water-bottles made of the whole skinof a goat, and with charming grace carry their heavy bur-den to the village of Siloam. Let me here warn every one tobe careful and never drink any water in Jerusalem unlessthey see it boiled.

These skin bottles are used all over the land just as theywere in the olden time, not only for water, but for winealso. An old skin would not stand the pressure of new wine;hence the saying, "Neither do men put new wine into oldbottles."

Beyond the Spring of Mary, the Kidron Valley begins toopen. High above on the left is the corner of the templewall; directly in front, in the bottom of the valley, which issometimes called the Valley of Jehoshaphat, there are manytombs, of which three have important names attached tothem: the tomb of Absalom, of Jehoshaphat, and of Zacharias.I simply say that these names are attached to them.

Just beyond these tombs (and it may be well to call atten-tion to the fact that all the tombs next to the city walls on theleft are Mohammedan tombs, while those on the right sideof the valley are Jewish) the Golden Gate comes into view."Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outwardsanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 49Then said the Lord unto me: This gate shall be shut, it shallnot be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because theLord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, therefore itshall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit init to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the wayof the porch of that gate and shall go out by the way of thesame." (Ezek. xliv, 1-3.)

This indicates that the Golden Gate was shut up at a veryearly period. During the time of the Crusades this gate wasopened on Palm Sunday, and the great procession with palmbranches entered the city by this gate from the Mount ofOlives.

After capturing the city, the Mohammedans closed thegate again and it has not been opened since. They have avery curious tradition that they will hold Jerusalem until aChristian conqueror opens the gate, enters, and captures thecity. They also say that the columns of the gate were pre-sented to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba.

The reason the valley below the gate is so full of tombsand graves is that both the Jews and the Mohammedansbelieve that the resurrection will begin here. The Moham-medans have a remarkable idea of the last day. On that daya hair from the beard of the prophet will be stretched fromthe Golden Gate to the top of the Mount of Olives. Christwill sit at one end and Mohammed at the other as judges.Those who succeed in crossing on that slender bridge will reacheternal bliss, whereas those who have no faith will slip andfall down to perdition in the valley below, which will opento receive them into the bottomless pit. The faithful, how-


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50 A CAMERA CRUSADEever, will have no difficulty, for they will be sustained by thetwo angels appointed by Allah to guard them.

Almost directly across the valley from the Golden Gateis the Garden of Gethsemane, a quiet place with aged olivetrees now surrounded by flower beds tenderly cared for byFranciscan monks. It is situated at the base of the Mount ofOlives and is about a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem,so it was far enough away from the city to be a retreat fromthe crowds and excitement during the feast of the Passover.

"And when Jesus had spoken these wor,ds, he went forthwith his disciples over the brook Cedron (Kidron), wherewas a garden, into which he entered, and his disciples." (Johnxviii, I.)

Here he came, despised and rejected of men, a man ofsorrows and acquainted with grief, to pray. And such aprayer! Think of the agony of the One without sin takingupon himself the sin of the world!That night, in that garden, he was betrayed.

As I stood in that garden nearly two thousand years afterthat awful night and looked upon those old olive trees whichmay have witnessed that betrayal of the Son of man, I won-dered, ay! I wondered, I shall always wonder!

From the Garden of Gethsemane I walked around thenorth-east corner of the wall of the city and along the northwall till I came to the Damascus Gate. There, seated aboutthe gate, were all kinds of men, some gossiping or arguing,others trading and bargaining, and some just loafing.

The inevitable beggar was also there, even a poor leper.Through the gate came one of the sons of Levi dressed in the


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 51raiment peculiar to the time of the feast of the Passover andwearing a curious fur turban. It seemed hardly possible thatthis was the twentieth century, and that this was all real andnot a dream of the scenes that Solomon and his people wereaccustomed to see "in the gates," to which he alluded whenpraising the virtuous woman: "Her husband is known inthe gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land."(Prov. xxxi, 23.)

"They hate him that rebuketh in the gate"; "Theyafflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poorin the gate from their rights"; "Hate evil, and love the good,and establish judgment in the gate." (Amos v, 10, 12, 15.)

;'They that sit in the gate speak against me." (Ps.Ixix, 12.)

Ever since Moses stood in the gate of the camp and spoketo his erring people, the gates of the Far East have alwaysbeen the favorite places for transacting business of all kindsand most frequented by the idle and the inquisitive. ThisDamascus Gate, as it stands to-day, dates back only to thebeginning of the sixteenth century; an older structure wasrebuilt by Soliman. Excavations prove that this gate isbuilt on the foundations of an ancient one, for not only thisbut also a fragment of a wall built of great blocks of hewnstone were discovered here.

I felt that this was the very place where that gate stood,through which he was "brought as a lamb to the slaughter"to the place where "Jesus also, that he might sanctify thepeople with his own blood, suffered without the gate." (Heb.xiii, 12.)


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5 2 A CAMERA CRUSADEWithout this gate there is a green hill which many believe

is "Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of askull," "called Calvary."From a certain stand-point this hill, partly cut away bya quarry, resembles the form of a human skull.

Whether this or another place is the true spot where theSon of man was lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent inthe wilderness, I will not dispute with any one; I will simplysay that as I contemplated the momentous tragedy whichended when he said, "It is finished," it mattered little to mewhether it occurred here or a few hundred yards away, be-cause the transcendent truth entered my soul, although Icould not understand it: "For God so loved the world, thathe gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth inhim should not perish, but have everlasting life." (JohnHi, 16.)

"Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows:yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruisedfor our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was uponhim: and with his stripes we are healed." (Isa. liii, 4, 5.)He was crucified between two thieves as was foretold,"And he was numbered with the transgressors; and he barethe sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."(Isa. liii, 12.)" Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin ofthe world." (John i, 29.)"And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall savehis people from their sins." (Matt, i, 21.)


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THROUGH THE HOLY LAND 53"And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And

the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."(John xix, 19.)

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is noneother name under heaven given among men, whereby we mustbe saved." (Acts iv, 12.)" For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." (I Cor.v,7-)

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance offaith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,and our bodies washed with pure water." (Heb. x, 22.)

Sacrifice for our sin we cannot offer, for He hath beensacrificed once for all, and He said, "It is finished"; but"a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wil

1912 a camera crusade through the holy land

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